According to one embodiment, a film formation apparatus that suppresses effects of pre-processing and enables stable film formation is provided. A film formation apparatus of the present disclosure includes a chamber that can be made vacuum, a transporter that is provided inside the chamber and that circulates and transports a workpiece in a trajectory of a circle, a film formation unit that forms film by sputtering on the workpiece circulated and transported by the transporter, a load-lock room that loads the workpiece into and out of the chamber relative to air space while keeping an interior of the chamber vacuum, and a pre-processing unit that is provided in the chamber at a position adjacent to the load-lock room and that performs pre-processing to the workpiece loaded in from the load-lock room in a state distant from the transporter.

A semiconductor device manufacturing method, including: mounting substrates on a mounting table within a processing chamber along a rotation direction of the table; starting to supply a first-element-containing gas to a first region in the chamber along the rotation direction, while rotating the table and exhausting the processing chamber; starting to supply a second-element-containing gas to a second region in the chamber; starting to generate, by a plasma generating unit in the second region, plasma of the second-element-containing gas in the second region to have a first activity; and forming a thin film containing first and second elements on the substrates by rotating the table to cause the substrates to sequentially pass through the first and second regions in turn so that a first-element-containing layer is formed in the first region and is modified in the second region by generating plasma having a second activity higher than the first activity.

A sputtering chamber includes at least two sputtering targets, one of the at least two targets disposed on a first side a substrate conveyor extending within the chamber, and another of the at least two targets disposed on a second side of the conveyor. The at least two targets may be independently operable, and at least one of the targets, if inactivated, may be protected by a shielding apparatus. Both of the at least two targets may be mounted to a first wall of a plurality of walls enclosing the sputtering chamber.

A system to form a dielectric layer on a substrate from a plasma of dielectric precursors is described. The system may include a deposition chamber, a substrate stage in the deposition chamber to hold the substrate, and a remote plasma generating system coupled to the deposition chamber, where the plasma generating system is used to generate a dielectric precursor having one or more reactive radicals. The system may also include a precursor distribution system that includes at least one top inlet and a plurality of side inlets. The top inlet may be positioned above the substrate stage and the side inlets may be radially distributed around the substrate stage. The reactive radical precursor may be supplied to the deposition chamber through the top inlet. An in-situ plasma generating system may also be included to generate the plasma in the deposition chamber from the dielectric precursors supplied to the deposition chamber.

A plasma delivery apparatus, comprising: a plasma source provided in an outer face of the delivery apparatus, the outer face arranged for facing a substrate to be treated; a transport mechanism configured to transport the substrate and the outer face relative to each other; the plasma source comprising a gas inlet to provide gas flow to a plasma generation space; the plasma generation space fluidly coupled to at least one plasma delivery port arranged in the outer face; wherein the plasma generation space is bounded by an outer face of a working electrode and a counter electrode; the working electrode comprising a dielectric layer; at least one plasma exhaust port provided in the outer face and distanced from the plasma delivery port, to exhaust plasma flowing along the outer face via said plasma exhaust port, wherein said at least one plasma delivery port and at least one plasma exhaust port are arranged to provide at least two contiguous plasma flows flowing in opposite directions that are each generated by a respective one of at least two working electrodes; and a switch circuit for switchably providing an electric voltage to the at least two working electrodes, wherein the switch circuit operates in unison with the transport mechanism.

An apparatus may comprise a plasma deposition unit, a movement system, and a mesh system. The plasma deposition unit may be configured to generate a plasma. The movement system may be configured to move a substrate under the plasma deposition unit. The mesh system may be located between the plasma deposition unit and the substrate in which a mesh may comprise a number of materials for deposition onto the substrate and in which the plasma passing through the mesh may cause a portion of the number of materials from the mesh to be deposited onto the substrate.

A vapor deposition apparatus is described. The vapor deposition apparatus includes a substrate support for supporting a substrate to be coated; a vapor source with a plurality of nozzles for directing vapor toward the substrate support through a vapor propagation volume; and a heatable shield extending from the vapor source toward the substrate support. The heatable shield surrounds the vapor propagation volume at least partially and includes an edge exclusion portion for masking areas of the substrate not to be coated. The substrate support may be a rotatable drum with a curved drum surface, and the vapor deposition apparatus may be configured to move the substrate on the curved drum surface past the vapor source in a circumferential direction.

An apparatus and method of processing a workpiece is disclosed, where a coating is applied to a workpiece and the workpiece is subsequently subjected to an etching process. These processes are performed by one semiconductor processing apparatus while the workpiece is scanned relative to the apparatus. A precursor is applied to the workpiece by the apparatus. The apparatus then uses plasma, heat or ultraviolet radiation to activate the precursor to form a coating. After the coating is applied, the apparatus is configured to perform the etching process. In certain embodiments, the etching process is a directional etching process.

Exemplary deposition methods may include introducing a precursor into a processing region of a semiconductor processing chamber via a faceplate of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include flowing an oxygen-containing precursor into the processing region from beneath a pedestal of the semiconductor processing chamber. The pedestal may support a substrate. The substrate may define a trench in a surface of the substrate. The methods may include forming a first plasma of the precursor in the processing region of the semiconductor processing chamber. The methods may include depositing a first oxide film within the trench. The methods may include forming a second plasma in the processing region. The methods may include etching the first oxide film, while flowing the oxygen-containing precursor. The methods may include re-forming the first plasma in the processing region. The methods may also include depositing a second oxide film over the etched oxide film.

A vapor deposition apparatus is described. The vapor deposition apparatus includes a substrate support for supporting a substrate to be coated; a vapor source with a plurality of nozzles for directing vapor toward the substrate support through a vapor propagation volume; and a heatable shield extending from the vapor source toward the substrate support. The heatable shield surrounds the vapor propagation volume at least partially and includes an edge exclusion portion for masking areas of the substrate not to be coated. The substrate support may be a rotatable drum with a curved drum surface, and the vapor deposition apparatus may be configured to move the substrate on the curved drum surface past the vapor source in a circumferential direction.